The Patrician JUNE/JULY 2021
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
FLYING THEIR FLAG
A conversation with the VFC's newest team member! www.flyvfc.com
1
The Patrician
NEED HANGAR SPACE?
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contact Marcel at the Club to see if a hangar spot is a good spot for your plane and to get on the waitlist.
“To promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.” (Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
PRESIDENT Tony Allen VICE PRESIDENT Adam Johnston SECRETARY Glen Rippon TREASURER Colin Williamson DIRECTORS John Ainsworth Graham Palmer Iain Barnes Don Devenney GENERAL MANAGER Greg Matte CHIEF FLYING Mike Schlievert INSTRUCTOR
www.flyvfc.com info@flyvfc.com
3
News around the Club &
Ground School Schedules
6
Indigenous Vancouver Island
7
A Quick Guide to LGBTQ+ Inclusion
8
Feature Article: Flying Their Flag
10
Meet Your Board
11
Member Achievements & First Solos
12
Thanks for the Share
PARKING AVAILABLE!
CONTACT 1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5
P: 250-656-2833 F: 250-655-0910
Interested in prime paved parking spaces for your aircraft? Good News: there are spots available! Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access.
Editor: Kelly J. Clark vfcpatrician@gmail.com
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.
Call Dispatch at 250-656-2833 to arrange a spot or to get on the waitlist for hangar spaces!
MENTORSHIP
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Looking to brush up your skills?
vfcpatrician@gmail.com http://flyvfc.com/subscribe-to-the-patrician
Email mentors@flyvfc.com to find a mentor or to become one.
PHOTO CREDITS Front cover photo by Brielle French https://unsplash.com/@briellefrench Graphics for Indigenous Vancouver Island article are by the Govermnent of Canada and Government of BC 2
JUNE/JULY 2021
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
News Around the Club
HISTORY WANTED
Do you know of an important moment in the VFC's history? The Patrician Editor is collecting stories for the 75th Anniversary Issue this November! Please contact vfcpatrician@gmail.com!
NEWS and EVENTS &
This year marks the Victoria Flying Club's 75th year and to celebrate we're having a Dinner Gala Event at the Wardroom at CFB Esquimalt. Save the date for November 20th, 2021! More details forthcoming!
GROUND SCHOOL SCHEUDLE
SAVE THE DATE
VFC MENTOR PROGRAM
Would you like to meet other pilots to fly with, split the flight cost, share knowledge, or get help getting into a new airport for the first time? VFC's mentors have their resumes posted on a special VFC Mentors bulletin board beside the Dispatch counter. Contact details are on each mentor's resume or email mentors@flyvfc.com for more information. Looking to become a mentor yourself? There's always room for more experienced pilots! Send an email to mentors@flyvfc.com for more information on how to join up!
Ground School Schedules Private Pilot Licence Ground School
PPL #21-11: June 29 – Aug 06/2021: Mondays, Tuesdays, & Fridays (18:00 - 21:30) PPL #21-13: August 09 – Sept 17/2021: Mondays, Tuesdays, & Fridays (18:00 - 21:30) Individual scheduling requests are available for Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Mountain Awareness Training (MTA), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (Drone) Courses (RPAS) by request. Individual tutoring is also available for PPL and CPL upon request. Confirm your attendance with Neil Keating (204) 291-9667 and Brenda Hardwick (250) 656-2833.
www.flyvfc.com
3
NEWS and EVENTS JUNE 19 Juneteenth (USA)
NEWS and EVENTS
JUNE 20 Father's Day JUNE 21 National Indigenous Peoples Day JUNE 21 Summer Solstice JULY 1 Canada Day JULY 4 Independence Day (USA) Know of an aviation-related event that's not listed? Let us know at vfcpatrician@gmail.com!
Sustaining and Lifetime members: 15% discount on Cessna rental rates and purchases in the Little Pilot Shop. 10% discount for everyone who pays fully in advance for their annual aircraft parking fees for 2021 only!
[PICTURE YOUR AD HERE] What's better than free advertising?
Not much. The Patrician is giving away free spaces in each issue during 2021 to support our community businesses!
Just email vfcpatrician@gmail.com with your ad and we'll set you up with a free business-card sized ad space in a future issue!
4
JUNE/JULY 2021
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE! Two 400-square foot rooms are available on the 2nd floor of the VFC building! Contact Marcel Poland at marcelpoland@flyvfc.com for more information! All prospective businesses must be Victoria Airport zoning compliant.
VFC CHARTER SERVICE Be there in minutes!
NEWS and EVENTS
(Examples of zone compliant rooms: aviation consulting and services, aviation museums, aviation related information services, aviation related retail, aviation research facilities, or baggage services) For a full list, see Victoria International Airport Land Use Plan and Permitted Uses Section 2.2.1.2.
VFC Charter offers inexpensive, on-demand, and direct transportation to places not serviced by other commercial carriers in the lower BC area. The charter service is operational in day VFR conditions. Please contact us for more information on destinations and costs. For more information or to book a flight Email: tedk@flyvfc.com Call: 1-778-350-3213
www.flyvfc.com
5
Indigenous Vancouver Island An Overview of Where We Live and Fly
INDIGENOUS VANCOUVER ISLAND
In Honour of National Indigenous History Month
Did you know that the VFC exists on the traditional lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ people (more specifically the Tsyecum, Pauquachin, and Tsawout nations)?
The next time you're flying, take a moment to look at the vast beauty and Indigenous history of Vancouver Island!
The W̱SÁNEĆ are part of the Coast Salish tribal group who, with the Nuu chah nulth and Kwakiutl, comprise the 50 First Nations of Vancouver Island. The name W̱SÁNEĆ (Anglicized into Saanich by settlers) means "emerging land" or "emerging people", as the land had been theirs since the great flood. W̱SÁNEĆ are Straits Salish People who traditionally lived on the bounty from the ocean and land. The W̱SÁNEĆ people split their time between their summer homes, along the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands, and their protected winter homes, which are the locations of the W̱SÁNEĆ reservations.
If you would like to learn more about your local Indigenous History, here are some resources:
We celebrate our Indigenous cultures on June 21 due to the summer solstice and the spiritual significance it has for many people. It's also a wonderful time to spend time outdoors and enjoy this beautiful land and in honour of its first inhabitants!
6
JUNE/JULY 2021
Learn about Maps, Languages, and Treaties https://native-land.ca/ Learn and Hear Indigenous Languages (The W̱SÁNEĆ people speak SENĆOŦEN https://www.firstvoices.com/ Discover Local History, Get Involved, or Contact the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council https://wsanec.com/ Support Indigenous Tourism in BC https://www.indigenousbc.com/
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
A Quick Guide to LGBTQ+ Inclusion Not Just for Pride Month!
By no means an exhaustive list, but a good place to start! Lesbian: often the preferred term for a gay woman.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather some things to keep in mind. Cultivating thoughtful language is a core part of making our club a welcoming, inclusive space.
Asexual: a person who doesn't feel sexual attraction or has a low/absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. There are many shades of asexuality, including demi-, grey-sexual, and more, and all are perfectly fine and normal. A person can also be aromantic, meaning they do not experience romantic attraction.
The Singular They. We use it every day, but did you know that the singular they was used as far back as Shakespeare? It's very useful to use the singular they in daily life to avoid making assumptions about gender. Use Inclusive Language on all Communications Instead of saying "Ladies and Gentleman" or "Boys and Girls", try some inclusive alternatives like: folks, friends, pilots, air aficionados, members, etc. Use the name and gender a person provides you. Deliberately using the wrong name or pronoun for someone is a jerk move by all accounts. Can't remember their pronoun? Use their name! Not sure of a person's pronoun or gender identity? Use their name instead! It's really that easy. What if someone changes their name or pronoun? People change all the time--especially their names! Just use the new one! But what if I make a mistake? Mistakes happen. Take a breath, self-correct, and try again. Effort matters and we guarantee that the person noticed that you took the time to try. There's often a bit of confusion as to what each part of LGBTQ+ represents, so here's a Quick List of LGBTQ+ Definitions to help you out: Gay: a term for a person whose physical, emotional, or romantic attractions are to people of the same sex. www.flyvfc.com
Bisexual: a person whose attractions are to either their own gender or to another gender. There are many degrees of bisexuality. See also: pansexuality, the attraction to all genders or regardless of gender.
A QUICK GUIDE TO LGBTQ+ INCLUSION
Every organization, whether it realizes it or not, contains a diverse multitude of personalities, sexualities, and gender identities. As society becomes more welcoming, the number of people in this community grows with each new generation.
Queer: a catch-all adjective for those are either not exclusively heterosexual or cisgender. Formerly derogatory, the word has been reclaimed and is particularly popular among younger people. Intersex: An umbrella term describing people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy and/or a chromosome pattern that can't be classified as typically male or female. Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. There are many terms used, so default to whatever term is preferred by each person. A trans person may or may not seek medical or surgical means to bring their body into alignment with their gender identity. Indeed, some feel that such changes are irrelevant to who they really are. Cisgender: someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Cis is shorthand for this. Non-binary/Genderqueer: a person who does not feel that their gender identity falls neatly into the strictly defined categories of man or woman. As such, there are many different ways to be non-binary. Note: neither term is a synonym for trans. There are many resources available online if you'd like to learn more! Here are some great ones: • GLAAD | glaad.org • LGBT YouthLine | youthline.ca/ • The Trevor Project | thetrevorproject.org • Egale Canada | egale.ca • The Human Rights Campaign | www.hrc.org • Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) | ccgsd-ccdgs.org/ 7
Feature Article Flying Their Flag
FEATURE ARTICLE FLYING THEIR FLAG
A conversation with Michael McGie
8
What’s your favourite flight memory? My favourite thing to do is to have fun. My first priority as a pilot is safety, but my second is to have fun. Flying for This month we sat down with Michael me is fun. And my favourite all time McGie to talk about their passion for them. But this one pilot in particular, flight is the one I proposed on! It was flying and being their best self! Kent Pietsch, had a routine that an evening flight and only had about inspired me to become a pilot. He’s a forty-five minutes before twilight. I How long have you been flying? comedy pilot. One of his main routines don’t have my Night Rating, so I had to Since May 21, 2008. is that he takes off from the runway time it right. like he’s stealing it and everything My girlfriend was over from Congrats on 13 years of flight! goes wrong. Parts fall off, he hits the Vancouver and I told her I wanted to Sort of. I took six years off because life ground, wings and everything! The skill take a quick flight, which was almost stuff happened and I found that I just it takes to fly that badly—safely—is a giveaway. So we’re about 2,000 feet didn’t have time for it. Over my last few incredible! That routine is one of the up enjoying sunset and I asked her to months flying on a regular basis I lost most phenomenal things I’ve ever seen. reach back and grab pull something out excitement for it and then one day I I think he’s probably one of the most of my flight bag. She asked what she just stopped. I let my license expire and talented pilots in the world. was looking for so I told her it’s a small didn’t fly again until recently. box. We were super casual, so I told her You started flying when you were to open it up and I said “You should just What's it like being back in the air? about 16. Was it hard to convince your put that on now.” Oh God, it's amazing. I love flying. parents to let you? And she said, “I think I will.” So that’s Not really. They always knew that I literally how I proposed. So you're you a big vehicle person? liked planes, and I always played flight When we landed the dispatcher asked Absolutely! I still have all my Hot simulators, so when I brought it up it how the flight was. I said that it was Wheels toys. Planes, boats, and cars. was just a matter of booking it. pretty good, but that I went up with a girlfriend and didn't have one anymore. What certifications do you have? What’s your favourite kind of plane? The dispatcher looked worried, but I just have my PPL. For now. I like flying old school. New planes then I told them that I had a fiancée have all sorts of GPS and computer now. It was great. We’re not together What made you want to fly? features—which are cool—but I love the anymore, but it’s still a really great I always thought planes were cool, but nostalgia on older planes like the ones I memory. then I started going to air shows. I love learned to fly in.
JUNE/JULY 2021
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
What’s it like being on the younger side of the club’s membership? It can be weird at times, but working with older pilots makes it really easy to learn from their experience. If I don’t know the answer for something, someone at the VFC does! June is both Indigenous History Month and Pride Month, and you’re part of both communities. As for the LGBTQ+ part, you identify as non-binary? Yep! Being non-binary means that I don’t really see myself as a man or a woman. I'm just me.
www.flyvfc.com
So people should refer to you as? My pronouns are they or them. Or Mike. And don't worry: I’m still getting used to it myself! If someone gets it wrong it’s not a huge deal. Has being queer affected you as a pilot? How’s the reaction been? Oh, it hasn’t affected me at all. Everyone’s been super supportive. The response has always been very positive whenever I go out presenting feminine. Everyone at the VFC has been great. And you just came out recently? Yeah, earlier this year. I’ve always been very feminine, but it’s only recently where I really embraced it. I think that I owe a lot of that change to the way my previous relationship went and to Dungeons & Dragons. In my marriage, there wasn’t much pressure to be manly, but I always felt like I should be more masculine. My exwife is teeny-tiny, and I’m a big dude, so it felt like what I should be. But after we broke up, I started experimenting a bit more, like by playing female characters in D&D, and it really opened me up to how I really felt about myself. What would you say to people who meeting non-binary people for the first time or who might not "get it"? Clothes don’t have genders. It’s only a woman’s dress if a woman owns it. If I own a dress it’s my dress. You should wear what’s comfy. Wear the clothes you like. Be who makes you happy. Be who you’re comfortable being.
You’re Indigenous. Has being an Indigenous pilot affected you at all? I’m half Ojibwa through my dad. It hasn’t come up, really, but it’d be nice to learn more about my language and culture, though it wouldn’t really have much bearing here, as my people are from the opposite coast. I’d like to connect with some of the communities here. I’d love to be a bush pilot and fly to northern BC or the Yukon to bring in supplies to the remote communities. Knowing more about Indigenous culture is important when you’re flying into those areas so that you can experience and respect their way of life. Eventually, I’d love to learn some of the languages but there’s so many that it feels impossible to learn them all!
FEATURE ARTICLE FLYING THEIR FLAG
What’s the worst flight you’ve ever had? Any scares? I learned to fly up in Qualicum and plane issues were a regular thing. On my first solo flight about halfway through the flight one of my wing fuel tanks started leaking. Not the end of the world, but I when I landed in Port Alberni and shut the plane off oil started pouring out of the engine. Generally, oil is supposed to stay in the plane, so that was fun. I’ve also had cases where both of my radios failed. Not super unusual. The really big one though, was one time I went up with my instructor to do some circuits and when we came in to land one of my flaps fell off! Like most pilots, I prefer when flaps stay on the plane. We managed to land and while it wasn’t a great experience it goes to show that even with a good pre-flight check stuff can happen that you’ll have to adapt to! I’m glad that this kind of thing doesn’t happen at the VFC. We take good care of our planes here.
You just started working for the VFC as a dispatcher. How do you like it? It’s a lot of fun! The job is engaging and I get to work with interesting people with a wide array of experience, from airline pilots to fighter pilots to everything in between. Being around people who like flying or are learning to fly… there’s so much passion. I love it. Thanks for the interview, Mike! You can find Mike at VFC Dispatch or on their Twitch channel where they stream sci-fi and space video games: twitch.tv/captainstarbun Or watch them play Dungeons & Dragons at twitch.tv/dorktales
9
Meet Your Board
Adam Johnston
MEET YOUR BOARD
Get ready to meet your Vice President! practitioner. However, with summer finally upon us, I am thrilled to be resuming my commercial flight training with the VFC! Now before I run out of page space, I want to share an experience that drove me to get involved with the VFC Board of Directors and that continues to motivate me now as your Vice President. Like many of our members, aviation runs in the family. My father was a pilot for a regional flight operation back in the late ’80s and my grandfather was a paratrooper in the Korean War; needless to say, out of the two men, I am hoping that my relationship with flying looks more like my fathers did. I didn’t get behind a yoke until I was twenty-two years old and to this day I’m not sure why it took me so long to give flying a shot. Growing up, I constantly stopped in my tracks to stare at any aeroplane that happened to be passing nearby or overhead (which drove my friends a little crazy). The idea of becoming a pilot should have been a no-brainer! It wasn’t until 2017 when a co-worker took me on a scenic night flight over Victoria in one of VFC’s 172’s that I became hooked on aviation. After saving up for a year, I booked my discovery flight in April 2018. I have always wanted to fly commercially, but over the past three years I have been mostly flying for fun as my focus first shifted to my post-secondary studies and, later, to my career as a human resources
10 JUNE/JULY 2021
Shortly after I began my flight training, I was also hired onto the VFC dispatch team. If I’m being honest, becoming a Dispatcher changed my life. During my time at VFC, I've met people who have become lifelong friends and provided me with a sense of belonging, companionship, and community. Over the years, some of these amazing friends have moved on to other adventures, but what has remained are some of the best memories of my life. Now as Vice President, I want to help put the club back in the Victoria Flying Club so that others may create the same kinds of genuine connections through a shared passion for aviation. While the past fifteen months have been incredibly challenging for the VFC (with our club almost closing for good) it is important to focus on the fact that we are still here. As we head into summer, it is once again time for props to turn, avgas to flow, and Dakota Café wonton soup to be devoured! I hope to meet more of you in person in the coming months, and I would love to hear your thoughts on how things are going with our club.
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Member Achievements FIRST SOLOS
CPL FLIGHT TEST
Whitney Forde Nate Bentley Harry Brunton Graham Bradley
CPL WRITTEN EXAM
Josh Newton
Yoshiaki Inoue Chris McKay Keanu Flavelle Jay Van Der Vlugt Ian Gordon Matt Byrnell Nathan Hughes Daniel Wang Jay Cullen Julia Jensen Mark Taylor Alysha Forsayeth
MULTI-RATING
Zachary Rowbotham Tanner Davis Harry Brunton Bill McMillan Jennifer Zadorozniak Dylan Pacheco
MULTI-IFR RATING
Dan Bremner Anthony Green
MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS & FIRST SOLOS
Skyler Diamond-Burchuk David Nykl Ian McDonald Kole Postema Luke Bergen Nate Korby Mark Russell Alex Brendle Hudson White
PPL FLIGHT TEST
PPL WRITTEN TEST
Jordan Isenor Nathan Hughes Kaitlin Cranston David Olmstead
First Solos "Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines.
Ian McDonald Instructor: Ryan Greenwood
Luke Bergen Instructor: Darren Rich www.flyvfc.com
Furthermore, these skillful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights."
Mark Russell Instructor: Mami Iijima
Kole Postema Instructor: Ryan Greenwood
Nate Korby Instructor: Ryan Greenwood 11
THANKS FOR THE SHARE!
Pics from the wonderful people on Instagram who shared with us using the #flyvfc or #victoriaflyingclub tag. From top, left to right: @heatherbelecky: “Forgetting to close the doors behind me since about 1995"; @emracv is having a great day back home and a better day flying!; @burtonader taking a great shot during some night circuits!; @pilot.angie adds the Piper Cherokee to her log book and her first time flying aircraft that isn’t a Cessna!; @radiochattershow: flashback to a holiday post from the skies!; @pilot.angie's new GPS unit for her iPad is a game changer! Thanks for tagging us!
Tag us on Instagram & get featured! 12
JUNE/JULY 2021
@victoriaflyingclub #flyvfc
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946 #victoriaflyingclub
